Bidote
The Bidote, is a small, non-sentient animal originating from Gliese 532d. Known for their extremely fast reproductive cycles and a tendency to devastate farmland, they are considered an ecological disaster to the world of the Orion Republic. On their home world, their numbers were controlled by Wild Dysevic Cats, which aggressively hunt them down. After these creatures were able to escape the grasps of their homeworld, due to various cargo vessels, they became an ecological disaster to various planets of the republic. History The Bidotes spread to many planets, usually from a person adopting one as a pet, oblivious to their nature. In the year 3711, a massive campaign was launched after a famine on Timia, a founding member of the Republic, was found to be caused by Bidotes. Bidotes were wiped out on every planet and their homeworld was destroyed, leading the Republic to classify them as extinct. However, at least one bidote survived as a cryogenically frozen specimen aboard the ORS Cherokee. G-74635h Incident In the year 3742, a taskforce was sent to the G-74635 system in an attempt to weaponize the fungi on the planet. The aforementioned ORS Cherokee was a part of a fleet sent to occupy G-74635h, in an attempt to weaponise the fungi present on the planet. This expedition was a complete disaster as only 2 out of 35 starships made it back alive. The Cherokee crashed onto the planets surface where the Bidote was let free. Effects on G-74635h This lone Bidote quickly multiplied and by the end of the weak, over 6 million Bidotes were present on the planet. The Kulutundra Mycelial Network, recognising the Bidotes as a threat to the stability of the planet, used the animals present on the planet in a combined attempt to exterminate the bidotes. The various animals were simply unequipped to deal with extreme reproductive rate. Even though most of the planet’s wildlife worked together to exterminate the Bidotes, they were only able to keep the population under control and not fully exterminated. Biology Bidotes are a furry creature in the shape of a ball. On the side facing the ground is where their “mouth” is. Bidotes individually are unable to directly harm sentient life, not even possessing teeth, they nevertheless must be carefully monitored on foreign lands. If their populations go unchecked, they can rapidly reproduce and can devastate entire ecosystems on a planetary scale. On their homeworld, their numbers are kept in check by Wild Dysevic Cats, which aggressively hunt them. Over half of their metabolism is solely dedicated to reproduction. Bidotes are born pregnant, and are unable to survive for long without food. A lone bidote, with sufficient food, can increase their numbers exponentially through asexual reproduction, bearing a litter of 25 in just 24 hours. Bidotes are hermaphrodites, possessing both male and female reproductive body parts. Given sufficient food, a single Bidote can increase its numbers to over 16,000 in only 2 days. Adaptations Bidotes normally survive on their homeworld due to their enormously fast reproductive cycles, with most predators unable to hunt them all down. The bidotes also possess millions of cilia, which it uses to both sense changes around them, such as changes in atmosphere, wind changes, temperature changes and atmospheric pressure changes, the ability to feel its food, and to move around. Despite their grounded appearance, they are able to move at a moderate pace. Their maximum speed is around 14km/h and since their bodies are so light, they are able to be picked up by the wind and transported to a different area to begin reproducing. Bidotes do not possess eyes but have an extraordinarily sharp sense of smell to the point where they can detect food over 10km away. Unlike most animals, Bidotes do not produce waste. Every bit of food is used to supply the creature with enough energy to reproduce. Homeworld The bidote’s homeworld, Gliese 532d, is covered by a planet-wide marshland were the Bidotes feed of various plants on the surface of the water. Since bidotes cannot swim, they are unable to feed on the plants under the water, which is another way the ecosystem controls their population. After Gliese 532d was destroyed by Republic warships, and they were accidentally introduced on G-74635h, the Republic announced that G-74635h was their new homeworld. G-74635h is a dark and cold planet with a thick atmosphere and a planet-wide fungal network. Their new homeworld had no real way to control their populations, so growth rates of various wildlife were drastically altered to compensate for the growing Bidote population.